


Odds & Ends

by decaf and sleep (kohiii)



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: (sort of), Alternate Universe - Artificial Intelligence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fate/ Fusion, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - His Dark Materials Fusion, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Archer Servant Zero, Arknights AU, Blood Drinking, Character Death, Cooking, Crack, Developing Relationship, Dimension Travel, Dragon Kaname, Enstars AU, Established Relationship, Farmer Zero, Fate/Stay Night AU, Friends to Enemies, Friendship, Holy Grail War (Fate), Hufflepuff Zero, Hurt No Comfort, Idol Producer AU, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Inspired by Orpheus and Eurydice (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Inspired by Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle, Inspired by xxxholic, Jaeger Pilots, Kaiju, Knight Zero, Love at First Sight, M/M, Master Kaname, Meet-Cute, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, POV First Person, POV Outsider, Person of Interest AU, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Post-Break Up, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, References to Monty Python, Single Parents, Slice of Life, Slytherin Kaname, Stardew Valley AU, Strangers, Writer Kaname
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 16,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22343884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kohiii/pseuds/decaf%20and%20sleep
Summary: a collection of super self-indulgent unbeta'ed ficletswritten as a part of my flash fic challenge with milktea_s
Relationships: Kiryuu Zero & Kuran Kaname, Kiryuu Zero & Kurenai Maria, Kiryuu Zero/Kuran Kaname
Comments: 121
Kudos: 197





	1. Table of Contents

**1\. Mind & Body **  
_Pacific Rim AU_  
Kaname and Zero are forced to pilot a jaeger together in the face of a sudden kaiju attack.

 **2\. Cravings**  
_Bon Appetite Test Kitchen AU_  
Kaname comes up with a video idea to spend more quality time together with his favorite chef, Zero. 

**3\. Friendship**  
_Harry Potter AU_  
First-year Hufflepuff Zero meets an older Slytherin student and a budding friendship forms between them. 

**4\. Rocks & Gems**  
_Fantasy AU_  
Zero is declared a traitor to the kingdom by his king and is sentenced to be executed. His new dragon friend decides to intervene. 

**5\. Sing a New Song**  
_Ensemble Stars AU_  
Yuuki is the new -- and only -- female student in Cross Academy, a school famous for producing top tier idols. On her first day, she meets some colorful characters. 

**6\. The Letter**  
_Breakup Fic_  
Kaname deals with the aftermath of Zero's departure. 

**7\. Hero**  
_Fate/Stay Night AU_  
Archer class servant Zero realizes there is much more to his master than the mediocre mage everyone thinks he is. 

**8\. Random Act of Kindness**  
_Human AU_  
Kaname is miserable after his fiancee leaves him. A kind stranger rescues him from the rain and his melancholy thoughts. 

**9\. Turning Point**  
_His Dark Materials AU_  
Zero nearly has a heart attack when he finds his daemon curled up on Kaname's lap. But perhaps his feelings aren't as unrequited as he thought. 

**10\. Remote Control**  
_Person of Interest AU_  
Zero and Kaname share a moment in the aftermath of Zero's capture and escape. 

**11\. No Rhyme Nor Reason**  
_Canon AU_  
After witnessing Zero take _her_ blood, Kaname snaps and confronts the hunter. 

**12\. Drama**  
_Romantic Comedy AU_  
Yuuki claims this 'Kaname' guy was somehow transported from the world of her favorite TV drama into their reality. Zero just wants a break. 

**13\. Insult**  
_Monty Python and the Holy Grail AU_  
Happy April Fool's! Kaname and Zero find themselves in a strange place after one of Aidou's science experiments goes terribly wrong.

 **14\. Ironic**  
_Canon AU_  
Zero falls, and Kaname falls with him. 

**15\. Playground**  
_Single Parents AU_  
Kaname and Zero meet again, quite unexpectedly, after years of being apart. 

**16\. Eye Contact**  
_Orpheus & Eurydice AU_  
Kaname wonders if Death has played a cruel trick on him. 

**17\. On the Farm**  
_Stardew Valley AU_  
A friend catches up with Kaname and learns about a new development. 

**18\. Peaceful**  
_Stardew Valley AU_  
A friend runs into Kaname and Zero at the Night Market, and has a little fun at Kaname's expense. 

**19\. Outcast**  
_Hades & Persephone AU_  
The young god of living things meets the ancient god of the dead on an otherwise ordinary day. 

**20\. Break the Silence**  
_Arknights AU_  
As violence erupts through the streets of Lungmen, Zero sets out to confront the leader of Reunion only to discover it's a familiar face from his past. 

**21\. Outside the Window**  
_Tsubas Reservoir Chronicle / xxxHolic / Slice of Life AU_  
On a rainy day, Maria discovers some unexpected truths regarding her mysterious housemate. 

**22\. Missing You**  
_Tsubas Reservoir Chronicle / xxxHolic / Slice of Life AU_  
A number of years have passed since the day she first received that letter. One day, a stranger shows up at the cottage. 


	2. Mind & Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pacific rim au -- 
> 
> if you don't know the premise of the setting, there's basically two pilots mind-melding together in the "drift" to control a giant robot called a jaeger and they fight these giant monsters called kaiju. oh yes and i decided to name their jaeger "artemis".

_Starting neural handshake in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…_

_Neural interface ready, initiating._

Zero sucked in a deep breath as the automated voice finished the countdown and he found himself floating in the pool of their joint minds. Seeing all of Kuran's memories and his own at the same time was disorienting. He never quite got used to this, the feeling of trying to drift with a new person. Who knows, maybe they weren't even drift compatible and all of this was just a huge waste of time. 

_Right hemisphere calibrating. Left hemisphere calibrating._

"Okay Artemis, lining up nicely," their technician called over the comms. 

Zero exhaled loudly, blinking as he slowly re-oriented to sharing his mind. Next to him, he could feel Kuran doing the same thing. 

_Ready to activate the jaeger. Pilot to jaeger connection established._

Huh, what do you know. 

After the initial shakiness of the drift, something inside him had clicked and suddenly he was Kuran and Kuran was him. And their neural handshake was still holding strong. 

If he was being honest, Zero was surprised by the strength of their link. He hadn't had such a strong connection to _anyone_ since -- 

"Ichiru," breathed the voice next to him and Zero's head turned to see Kuran's eyes staring straight at him, wide with some unknown emotion. 

He couldn't figure out why Kuran was the one looking like his world had somehow ended when he was pretty sure that the other ranger hated his guts. Though maybe it had something to do with horror and grief that built up in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about the last time he drifted with his twin. 

Smiling wryly, Zero tapped on his own helmet. "Focus, Kuran," he said aloud. "Don't go chasing the RABIT now. Stay in the drift." 

That seemed to ground Kuran back in reality, and the other's expression eased back into the impassive mask Zero was more familiar with. Not that it mattered much since they were both literally in each other's brains. With the wall of trust issues between them, Zero was surprised that they had managed to drift at all. But…

He regarded Kuran with an appraising look. It seemed like there were more similarities between them than he had initially thought. The dislike and irritation he had harbored towards the brunet hadn't exactly vanished, but it was difficult to hold onto those feelings now that Zero _knew_ Kuran. Knew him in a way that he was sure no one else ever had. As soon as he thought that, he could feel an echoing sentiment on Kuran's end. They glanced away, raising their arms in unison and their thoughts in synchronization. 

_Calibration complete._

"Artemis, ready for drop," Zero informed LOCCENT control. 

The technician's voice came back over the comms. "Dropping in five seconds, four, three, two, one." 

The Conn-Pad shook as they landed in the ocean with a solid thud, but the Artemis stabilized in no time and they stepped forward to face the monstrous crocodile-like kaiju. Zero swallowed, pushing away all thoughts of his last battle and Ichiru to the far corner of his mind. He could -- had to -- deal with that later. There were people who needed him now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since i won't be getting around to posting actual chapters anytime soon, i figured i'd just post some of the short ficlets i've written previously since i feel bad for not updating. they're not beta'ed and were written in one sitting, so they're not the most quality work i have lol


	3. Cravings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> youtube / ba test kitchen au -- 
> 
> i love bon appetite! for anyone who doesn't know, it's a youtube channel where the ba chefs cook up all kinds of interesting things. i really love the gourmet makes series, but i think my absolute favorite is the one where chris tries to recreate dishes after a blind taste test

As their cameraman gave them the go ahead, Kaname nudged his distracted partner and started, "Welcome back to the BA test kitchen. We're making the perfect pumpkin chiffon pie today." He ignored Zero's mumble that there was no such thing as the _perfect_ pumpkin pie, this whole idea was ridiculous, seriously which dumbass came up with it. Kaname wasn't about to tell Zero that said dumbass was standing there right next to him. 

Alright, so maybe he was feeling a little bit lonely after not having been able to work on any videos with Zero for almost four months now. The 'Making Perfect: Thanksgiving' series didn't count, since basically everyone was involved in that project and he hadn't even gotten to pair off with Zero anyways. 

To Kaname's dismay, the group had allocated the task of making the perfect stuffing to Zero and Hanabusa (which honestly, was an incredibly explosive combo that somehow managed to work out, Kaname was _not_ jealous damn it). And Kaname had been paired up with Kaito of all people to make the perfect turkey and cranberry sauce. He didn't even want to think about the long 'debate' (argument) they had about whether sumac belonged in cranberry sauce. The Youtube comments section had found it hilarious -- Kaname had wanted to strangle Kaito. 

In summary, Kaname was craving his friend's attention. Just a little bit. (A lot bit.)

Kicking at Zero's ankle lightly, Kaname ignored the scowl his friend shot him and instead subtly nodded at the camera. Zero straightened up a bit, stepping on Kaname's foot in revenge ( _ouch,_ he really wasn't holding back) and ignoring Kaname's wince before speaking. "So traditionally, pumpkin pie is a custard that has pumpkin puree, whole eggs, and some kind of dairy. And it all gets baked in the oven." 

"However, in the spirit of doing things a little differently, we're going to be making a no bake pumpkin pie." 

Zero took over again and started to explain each of the ingredients laid out on the counter top, and Kaname turned to watch his friend with a fond smile. He could tell that despite Zero's initial protests, the slight tenseness to Zero's shoulders had relaxed as he slowly eased into the rhythm of things. 

There was actually another reason why Kaname had insisted on filming this episode (though the idea of spending more time with Zero in front of the camera never hurt, especially whenever it elicited such _delightful_ speculations in the comments regarding the nature of their relationship). He had seen how tired and stressed Zero was after the last 'Gourmet Makes' his friend had filmed, and since it was unlikely Zero was going on vacation anytime soon Kaname thought he would try and do something fun for his friend. 

"Oi, Kaname, don't just stand there." He was startled out of his thoughts when Zero shoved a stick of butter at him. "Go and melt the butter while I make the graham cracker crust." Kaname smiled at the slightly playful look in his friend's eyes. 

He had the feeling his plan was going to work out perfectly fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still working on the next chapter of a tough act to follow as well as a valentine's one-shot  
> thanks for being patient with me!


	4. Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> harry potter au -- 
> 
> kaname as a third-year slytherin who helps zero, a first-year hufflepuff, carry his collapsed brother ichiru to the infirmary. featuring kaito as zero and ichiru's mentioned gryffindor friend.

It wasn't until Madam Pomfrey was shooing them away out of the medical wing and Zero was turning around to thank the older student for helping him out that he noticed the silver and green tie hanging from the other's neck. He momentarily paused, slightly thrown off by the sight in front of him, and his eyes flickered up to the Slytherin's face. 

"Thank you for your help," Zero said slowly, wondering if the other student's attitude would change now that it was just the two of them. He wasn't exactly sure how the politics of Hogwarts worked, but Zero had heard enough stories about the infamous Slytherin house to know that the house of snakes generally wasn't a fan of muggleborns nor Hufflepuffs. 

He didn't expect to see a polite smile directed at him instead. 

"You're welcome. You should head back to your common room before it gets too late." 

There was no mocking expression, nor did Zero feel any malicious intent behind the other student's words. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled back shyly. Zero then murmured a quiet goodbye to the upperclassman and and headed for the stairs that would lead to the Hufflepuff common room. 

Zero thought that would have been the end of it, except he ran into the older student again about a month after their first meeting. 

He was in the library, trying to find  _ Potion Opuscule _ after Professor Slughorn had recommended it upon hearing what it was Zero was intent on researching. Unfortunately, Zero was having a hard time locating it. Running his fingers along the book spines, Zero searched the shelves again. 

He huffed, ready to give up and resort to asking Madam Pince (even if he was slightly terrified of the librarian), when he heard a quiet greeting. Looking up in surprise, Zero saw the same Slytherin student that had helped him carry Ichiru to the medical wing last week. Zero whispered back a quick hello, eyes darting anxiously towards the entrance of the library. Luckily, it seemed Madam Pince was preoccupied with telling off another group of students. 

His eyes landed on the other student again, who was now busy searching through the shelves for a book. 

Well, since he was with an upperclassman...and Madam Pince did seem to be in a bad mood... 

Making up his mind, Zero stepped closer to the Slytherin and murmured, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find  _ Potion Opuscule? _ I've searched this entire shelf and I can't find it anywhere." 

The other student paused, as if surprised by Zero's approach, before Zero was treated to another one of those smiles. "You're looking in the wrong section," the brunet told him. "Try three aisles over." Nodding at the advice, Zero thanked the older student before realizing that he had no idea what the other's name was. 

"Kaname Kuran," the Slytherin offered his hand after Zero flushed and apologized for not properly introducing himself the last time they met. "It's alright. You were understandably worried about your brother's condition at the time. Is he doing better now?" 

"Zero Kiryuu, and yes," Zero responded, reaching out and shaking Kuran's hand. "Madam Pomfrey says it's just overfatigue, nothing too serious." 

This time, Kuran's smile held a bit more warmth to it. "I'm glad to hear that, Kiryuu." 

As they parted ways, Zero couldn't help but think that the older student wasn't all that bad. He remembered his Gryffindor friend had firmly insisted that the 'slimy Slytherins' were always up to no good, but Kuran had been nothing more than helpful and polite every time they met. Perhaps...it would even be possible for them to become friends in due time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've wanted to do an HP crossover for a while, so this was a short and fun thought exercise   
> i do have an actual multi-chapter fic in the planning, but in that one kaname and zero never attended hogwarts together   
> (also i'm currently struggling to write that valentine's fic/next chapter of a tough act to follow)


	5. Rocks & Gems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fantasy au -- 
> 
> just your typical medieval-ish fantasy au. maybe one day i'll write something more substantial, but i've always loved the idea of knight!zero and dragon-shifter!kaname, whether it's a platonic friendship or something more

"Traitor!" 

"Kill him!" 

Zero stood silently on the platform, his wrists bound in front of him. A thick length of coarse rope knotted into a noose swung in the morning breeze. Through the loop, Zero could see the king perched on his lofty seat, watching the proceedings in the castle courtyard below. The gathered nobles and peasants continued to loudly call for Zero's head, many expressing their discontent with the disgraced knight. The castle guards and other soldiers looked on solemnly, but even they could not hide their expressions of disdain. 

Zero sighed quietly, resigned to his fate. 

His king had been infuriated when he returned to the castle four months late without the dragon's head. When Zero had tried to explain that the dragon had no intention of harming their kingdom and simply wished to live in peace with them, the king had loudly proclaimed that the wicked creature must have casted some sort of spell over the knight. 

It was only after a fruitless back and forth with the king that Zero had realized the king was more infuriated with the fact that Zero had failed to secure a means to obtain the dragon's legendary hoard. The king did not care if the dragon was evil or not; to him, the dragon was simply an obstacle to the pile of treasures sitting in the mountain. 

When the king announced that they were going to march on the mountain and bring the dragon down by force, Zero had snuck away to send a messenger hawk to his dragon friend. It was then that he had been caught by the king's guards, and they brought him before the king and notified him of Zero's treacherous behavior. Zero did not regret his actions, staying stonily silent even when the king sentenced him to death by the gallows. He could only hope that his message had reached the dragon and the dragon was somewhere safe by now. 

"...conspiracy and high reason against His Majesty. Consorting with the wicked creature to destroy the kingdom. Aiding and..." 

To his left, a servant was reading out loud a long list of crimes that Zero was being accused of committing. The crowd roared loudly at each one, and the cries for him to hang grew louder and more impatient. 

This was it, then. Thirteen years of loyal service, and now he was to die at the gallows at the whims of the selfish king he'd served. Zero closed his eyes and waited. 

Suddenly, the chanting of the crowd turned into loud, frightened screams and then Zero heard a familiar roar fill the air.

No. 

It couldn't possibly be. 

Opening his eyes, Zero turned around and was greeted by the sight of a large dragon landing in the courtyard. The dragon ignored the panicked fleeing crowd, stalking forward angrily towards the platform where Zero was standing. Swords were drawn and soldiers charged forwards with their spears held high; they too were ignored by the dragon. Arrows bounced off of the dragon's dark scales, and the dragon easily batted away the advancing soldiers as if they were nothing more than mere toys. 

The dragon came to a halt in front of Zero, claret eyes blazing with anger. "Zero." The dragon's eyes flicked upwards to where the dumbfounded king was standing, then they refocused on the knight again. 

"Kaname," Zero greeted back cautiously, trying to gauge the dragon's tumultuous mood. 

Kaname raised a giant claw and slashed downwards, tearing the rope that had bound Zero's hands together. As Zero rubbed blood back into his wrists, Kaname turned towards the king with a snarl. "I knew the royal lineage produced nothing but fools," the dragon rumbled angrily. "But to think you would try to  _ steal _ my greatest treasure from me." 

The king had paled at each word coming out of the dragon's mouth, stammering, "B-Begging your pardon, but you m-musn't believe this treacherous k-knight's words! I have n-never intended on laying a h-hand on any of your gold, Y-Your Magnificence." 

Tossing his head, Kaname laughed mockingly. "You pitiful buffoon," the dragon sneered. "All the precious stones and gems in this world pales in comparison to the treasure right in front of your eyes." Zero felt Kaname's claws gently close around him, and he flushed as he rather belatedly realized what treasure Kaname was referring to. And by the horrified and flabbergasted expression on the king's face, it was clear that he too had realized what Kaname meant. "Allow me to rectify your mistake." 

As Kaname took off, Zero grasped in his claws, he let loose a large stream of fire from his mouth and the castle was swallowed by burning flames. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i dread the day i run out of ficlets to post... 
> 
> anyways, just as a general update to my fics (i'm so sorry i've been behind in posting) --  
> valentine's fic: i promise will be posted either thursday night or on friday. it's kind of a silly, short, fluffy thing.  
> a tough act to follow: currently in the middle or writing the next chapter.


	6. Sing a New Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ensemble stars au -- 
> 
> idol boys! 8D when i used to play enstars, i couldn't help but think how much rei & koga reminded me of kaname & zero so oops my hand slipped and now we have the beginnings of this au 
> 
> ft. yuuki as anzu, kaito as sagami-sensei, kaname as rei, and zero as koga (ofc)

Yuuki sighed hopelessly as she wandered through the school, completely lost. It was her first day at Cross Academy, and she was supposed to meet her homeroom teacher in the staff room. As she turned the corner, Yuuki heard the faint sounds of a piano drifting from somewhere down the hall. Perking up at the melody, Yuuki's feet carried her forwards. Perhaps she could ask whichever student it was where the staff room was? 

When she reached the door where the music was coming from, Yuuki knocked and then opened the door, bowing her head, "Pardon my intrusion! I'm looking for the staff room and I got lost trying to navigate the hallways!" The music had stopped abruptly at her knock, and she looked up to see the pianist staring at her. She flushed at the attention. 

"...A girl?" the pianist murmured, rising from his seat at the piano and walking towards her. Yuuki furiously tried to fight down her rising blush. The older student -- a third year, by the color of his tie -- was undeniably handsome, much more so than any of the boys Yuuki had known at her old school. It was honestly a little intimidating to be at the end of that stare. The other came to a stop in front of her, and then he smiled at her. "You must be the new transfer student. You're the first girl to enter our school for the newly established production course, yes?" 

Spellbound, Yuuki managed to nod and then bowed, stammering out, "K-Kurosu Yuuki, nice to m-meet you! A-ah, I heard that I'll still be attending classes with the students of the idol course since there isn't a classroom for the production course yet." 

"Kuran Kaname," the third-year student inclined his head at her politely, still smiling kindly. "You said you're looking for the staff room?" 

"Y-yes! Takamiya-sensei said to meet him there before homeroom starts this morning." 

Kaname chuckled, shaking his head. "If that's the case, you're more likely to find him in the infirmary. Come along, I can guide you there if you'd like." 

Flustered, Yuuki nodded her head. "I'll be in your care!" 

As it turned out, the infirmary was actually very close by. As in, four doors down close by. Yuuki waited anxiously behind Kaname as the third-year knocked on the door and called out, "Excuse me, we're coming in." He slid the door open, and Yuuki followed him through the door to see who she presumed to be her homeroom teacher sitting at the doctor's desk. "Takamiya-sensei, the new transfer student was looking for you." 

Kaname stepped aside, and Yuuki hastily bowed in greeting. "G-good morning, I'm Kurosu Yuuki!" 

Takamiya smiled at her lazily, waving a hand in dismissal. "No need to be so nervous, Kurosu-chan. Sorry I wasn't at the staff room. It's a good thing Kuran-kun found you and brought you here, huh?" Yuuki blushed and nodded, opting to not tell her new teacher that she had actually gotten lost and never made it to the staff room. 

Her teacher reached down, rummaging through a few things on the floor before holding out a bag to her. Yuuki accepted it, almost dropping it in surprise at the weight. "Here are your textbooks and some other stuff. If you want to stick around for a few minutes, I can walk with you to homeroom in a bit." Yuuki thanked him profusely and accepted his offer. That was probably for the best -- who knew how lost she would get otherwise? 

Meanwhile, Kaname had wandered over to the two beds. The curtains were drawn around one of the beds, while Yuuki could see there was another student sleeping soundly on the other. She watched in horrified fascination as Kaname suddenly viciously jabbed the sleeping student's shoulder. She didn't think he was capable of something like that when he had been nothing but gentle earlier. There was a groan as the sleeping student -- a second year, like her -- woke up and sat up, rubbing at his shoulder. 

"What was that for, you shitty vampire?" 

"Now, now, that's not very nice, _neko-chan._ It was just a kindly reminder so that you don't oversleep and miss practice again." 

"Stop calling me by that stupid nickname! You're just a sadist," the other student hissed back. Kaname smirked. 

"You shouldn't set such a bad example for our new kouhai, kitten." 

Yuuki almost jumped as the second-year student swung around to look at her, a scowl on his face. There was something incredibly striking about his features, and Yuuki briefly wondered to herself if everyone at this academy was this good looking. The irritated expression on his face slowly relaxed into a stoic one, and the other ran a hand through his disheveled hair in an attempt to smooth it down. "Sorry you had to see that," the other student finally said. "Name's Kiryuu Zero." 

"Kurosu Y-Yuuki, and that's alright," she bowed back in response, heart beating faster and fighting the urge to look away from those piercing eyes. "I can tell you're very good friends!" 

There was absolute silence. 

Zero looked like he was choking, while Kaname was looking faintly amused. "I-I'm not friends with that stupid bloodsucker!" Zero denied vehemently, his cheeks flushed red. "We're just in the same idol unit!" 

Oh. Oh dear.


	7. The Letter

The house felt empty when he returned to it. Kaname closed the front door behind him, then leaned back against it, sagging and surveying the living room quietly. He could still see one of Zero's coats, draped haphazardly across the back of the couch. The hunter hadn't taken much with him when he left, just the two bags he could carry. And a piece of Kaname's broken heart. 

A loud crinkle reminded him of the piece of paper clenched in his hand. Kaname smoothed out the letter, his hands trembling as he re-read the words that he had already memorized by now. 

~~_Dear_ ~~ _Kaname,_

_These four years I've had with you...they've been both a curse and a blessing. I didn't think that someone like me could ever find happiness, but you proved me wrong._

_I want to thank you. For being by my side. For saving me. For giving me your blood. For not giving up on me, on us._

_That's exactly why I'm doing this. We both knew that this day would come. It's selfish of me, but I wanted to keep these happy memories we built together and leave before everything falls apart. I know you think I'm wrong, that things can get better. That things are okay the way they are._

_Kaname, we're killing each other. Forget the Senate and the Association, we're already destroying ourselves from the inside out. I love you, and I hope you can understand that I'm doing this for both our sakes._

_I know it's painful right now. But I know that you'll be able to find happiness someday._

_Thank you._

~~_Love,_ ~~

~~_Yours,_ ~~

_Zero._

He felt numb, like he always did after reading the letter. Kaname knew that their relationship had a rather rocky start. He had practically forced Zero to acknowledge the intense magnetic pull they had towards each other, and he knew that Zero resented the casual way Kaname had barged into his personal life and rearranged everything according to his own desires. It was a sore point in their relationship, one that they never fully addressed even years after Zero admitted he had fallen in love with Kaname. 

Kaname didn't realize how much it still bothered Zero. He didn't realize that Zero had been slowly breaking under the pressure of everything around them, how Zero had been been falling apart every time they had one of their arguments and fights. Didn't realize how every time they resolved things by fucking it out he had been inadvertently just hurting Zero more. Kaname had thought it was just another facet to their relationship, something that he had to learn to accept if he wanted to stay with Zero. 

Why hadn't Zero just _told_ him any of this? They could have solved it together, and Zero wouldn't have had to feel like he had no choice but to leave Kaname in spite of their mutual love for each other.

_But he did try_ , a little voice in his head nagged. Zero had tried so hard at the beginning, angry words flying everywhere as he even resorted to begging to get Kaname to back off and let him figure things out. But Kaname had been enraged at what he perceived to be a rejection, and he feared that if he gave Zero any space the other would bolt. And after Zero conceded, Kaname never gave Zero a single inch backwards. 

He closed his eyes, hands and letter falling dully into his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this? the procrastinator has finally updated something? xDD


	8. Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fate/stay night au -- 
> 
> kuran kaname is an average mage, considered barely competent. he's very much surprised when he wakes up one day and discovers that he's been branded with the red command seals that indicate he's been selected as a participant in the upcoming holy grail war. on the eve of the war, he summons the archer class servant, kiryuu zero. zero thinks there's something odd about his master, and he hates that he's right as usual.

When the red bled into his master's eyes and his magic grew haywire around them, Zero almost stepped back in surprise. An ominous presence filled the room, one that Zero knew because he had encountered this oppressive aura just once when he was still alive. 

So _this_ was what his master had been concealing this whole time? 

"Kuran Kaname," Zero murmured to himself, surveying the way his master's posture took on a natural confidence that was previously not present. "So they weren't lying when they called you The Immortal King." He had thought it was an odd coincidence that his master just happened to have the same appearance and name as the ruthless monarch from his past, but it seemed like there was good reason for that after all. 

The ancestor smiled darkly at him, his fingers tracing the seal on Zero's neck. 

"I never expected to see this again," the mage king said softly, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in fondness. "I would recognize my own insignia anywhere." Vermilion eyes looked up and Zero found himself frozen. "You were a mere guard when this happened, were you not?" Zero tried not to flinch when those long fingers moved to brush a few strands of his hair out of the way. "Yes, I would never have forgotten that lilac gaze." 

Swallowing, Zero shook his head. "This shouldn't be possible." 

"Yet here I am."

Kuran Kaname, the first king, should have died long ago. But he was very much here, standing in front of Zero not as a summon from the Grail but somehow manifested through his master's own magic. 

"Kiryuu Zero," Kaname mused aloud, withdrawing his hand and surveying the servant with interest. "Who would have imagined that we meet again under these circumstances?" 

Zero's eyes flickered down to the set of command seals on the back of Kaname's hand, sighing when he realized that they were completely different from the command seals he had seen on...the other Kaname's hand. Leave it to the King to completely mess with the system by having two sets of command seals for the same servant. 

"I'm surprised you remember me," the Archer class servant admitted. "Like you said, the last time we met I was only a city guard." 

The ancient king hummed, smiling indulgently at him. "You did call me the Immortal King earlier, did you not? Even when I was no longer physically present in this world, I was not dead. It was reassuring to learn that my kingdom was kept safe by a certain Knight of Generosity." Kaname then frowned. "Though I do find it deplorable that you would be forced to continue fighting as a Heroic Spirit instead of being granted the rest you deserve." 

Zero smiled wryly in return. "No good deed goes unpunished." 

There was a faint scowl on Kaname's face, and then his expression cleared. "The fates are cruel, but this is a Holy Grail War. We will rectify this mistake as soon as we can." 

Speaking of the war… "Does my master know?" 

Zero, of course, was referring to the young man who had originally summoned him. He had been surprised at how mediocre of a mage Kaname the younger was (especially considering his lineage), but it definitely made a lot more sense now that Zero was aware his master had been housing another soul within his body. "Does he know you're the reason why his magic circuits appear to be so weak?" He could imagine how much of a drain it was on the younger Kaname's mana, having to support both himself and his ancestor. 

The amusement was back on the King's face. "You're going to have to be more specific when you say 'my master'," Kaname smirked. "But in response to your question, no. My namesake -- the entire Kuran family, really -- are not aware that I continue to live on in the family crest." He tilted his head, his brown locks tumbling somehow elegantly. "It's quite ironic that the first Kuran to wake me from my slumber is one that happens to share my exact name." 

Zero stiffened when Kaname reached out and pulled him forward. Two arms snaked around his waist, tightening their hold on the Archer class servant until he was pressed up uncomfortably close against the ancient king. "It seems like my cute little descendant has inherited more than just my name. I do feel some measure of sympathy for him," Kaname murmured teasingly against Zero's ear. "But...I won't allow him to have you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this started off with me really wanting a fsn au where master!kaname and archer!zero go wreck people up, but of course i couldn't resist making a back story that connects the two of them xDD 
> 
> the fic ended up being a mash of vk ideas and actual fate verse lore (please don't kill me for not sticking strictly to fate lore). zero as an archer was too perfect, especially given that the archer class possesses independent action
> 
> (if anyone cares about the more fate side of this ficlet, the idea was that zero and kaname knew each other when they were alive. zero was a knight in the service of kaname's kingdom, and after his death he ascended to the throne of heroes to become a heroic spirit. kaname sealed himself into the kuran family magic crest, and he only woke up when ridou threatened younger kaname's life. even though he's relatively dormant, he drains up a huge portion of his descendant's mana, hence why younger kaname appears as such a weak mage.)


	9. Random Act of Kindness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> human au -- 
> 
> after his fiancee leaves him, kaname is left to wonder where he had gone wrong. thankfully, a kind stranger comes by and rescues him from his melancholy thoughts.

He was drenched, rainwater seeping through his clothes and bag where there were undoubtedly numerous important papers. Kaname just couldn't bring himself to care. Occasionally a few passersby gave him a curious glance, but otherwise no one spared a second thought for the man sitting on the curbside letting himself soak in the rain. 

Kaname bitterly watched the ripping puddles, wondering what he had done wrong for  _ her _ to make that kind of decision. He was absentmindedly playing with the ring that he had wrenched off his finger earlier, and when it slipped out of his hands and rolled into one of the puddles Kaname simply stared dully at it. 

So that was it then. Ten years down the drain, just like that. He thought that he had meant something more to her, but apparently not. No, the 'greater good' had to come first. Kaname laughed mirthlessly, his eyes stinging. And here he thought he was all out of tears. 

Suddenly, he was no longer being pelted by the rain and there was a pair of worn oxfords in front of him. A pale hand was reaching down into the puddle, pulling out the ring and offering it to him. 

"You should go inside." 

The voice was quiet, a certain steely firmness in it tempered only by the slightest hint of concern. Kaname looked up to see the most striking pair of eyes staring back at him. There was something intimidatingly intense about that gaze, but Kaname found himself unable to look away regardless. 

Go inside? Where? 

"Come on. I'll buy." 

Kaname stared blankly, feeling a rising indignation that this man was trying to  _ pick him up  _ when he was currently miserable and clearly wanted to be left alone. He was about to retort in anger when the other man spoke up again. 

"You look like you could use a cup of tea." 

At those words, Kaname's anger dissipated and something tight built up in his chest. 

There was no deception nor malicious intent in the stranger's gaze, only genuine concern. Reluctantly, he reached out and plucked the ring from the man's hold, slipping it into his coat pocket before slowly pushing himself up from the ground. His leather briefcase was in a miserable state, and Kaname wondered how many important business proposals and meeting minutes were ruined in there. 

The kind stranger was waiting for him on the cobblestone street, and as Kaname stepped under the shelter of the other man's umbrella he felt an odd sense of familiarity at their closeness. The fluttery, anxious thing in his chest beat harder against his rib cage as he fell into place beside the stranger, their steps echoing after each other in harmony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> something short and hopeful this time 
> 
> i listened to chris zabriskie's "that kid in fourth grade who really liked the denver broncos" for inspiration while writing this. it's a really calming piece -- you should check it out! c:


	10. Turning Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> his dark materials au -- 
> 
> people's souls are manifested as animal companions called "daemons". it's generally taboo for a person to touch someone else's daemon unless they're lovers. for zero, i selected a snow leopard and gave her the name "weiss" (german for white) and for kaname i chose a black wolf with the name "sanguis" (latin for for blood).

The morning light filtering through the windows woke him up. 

Zero blinked slowly, noting wearily that he had, once again, fallen asleep in the war room while talking to Kaname. Said pureblood was sleeping peacefully in the sofa across from him, looking rather comfortable despite their extremely uncomfortable sleeping conditions. Squinting at the source of light, Zero groaned as he realized they had forgotten to close the curtains. 

Reluctantly, Zero forced himself to get up from his seat. A quick glance at the clock told him that they'd been asleep for maybe three hours at most. It was probably best if he woke Kaname up now so they could retreat to their rooms and get some proper rest. As Zero made his way around the table, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

Sanguis was sprawled across Kaname's feet as usual, but Weiss…

Zero's face burned, then paled rapidly with horror. Weiss was curled up on Kaname's lap, blinking her large grey eyes in amusement even as Zero gestured briskly for her to get off of Kaname. The snow leopard rolled her eyes at him before deliberately reaching out and nuzzling Kaname's arm, acting as if she belonged there on Kaname's lap. 

Zero strode forward determinedly, prompting Weiss to rise up and hiss at him. 

Unfortunately for Zero, their little interaction was enough to wake Kaname up. The pureblood blinked his eyes open, looking confused at the sight of a horrified Zero standing in front of him. 

"Zero…?" 

Zero glanced down at Kaname's lap, and the latter followed suite to see Weiss settling back down. She blinked up at the two of them, gave Zero a _look,_ and then rubbed her head into Kaname's hand, purring the whole time. 

Kaname blinked.

Zero turned even paler, if that was possible. 

There was a rumble of laughter from below them as Sanguis rose from his position and twined himself around Zero's legs, "So this is how you really feel about us, little hunter." The massive wolf nudged Zero backwards, forcing the hunter to take a seat beside Kaname on the sofa. Then he too jumped up and made himself home on Zero's lap.

When Zero stilled in response, a warm smile spread across Kaname's face and he slowly began to stroke Weiss's fur. Zero couldn't help but close his eyes momentarily at the unexpectedly _blissful_ feeling. 

"You really aren't honest with yourself," Kaname mused, the same dastardly smile still on his face as he gently ran his fingers through Weiss's fur. 

"I can't help it if Zero's being stupid," Weiss grumbled from where she was comfortably sprawled out on Kaname's lap. There was a huff of laughter from both Kaname and Sanguis, then the former closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure. 

Meanwhile, Zero was struggling to get the situation back under control. "This doesn't have to mean anything," he said, trying to ignore the beautiful sensations singing through his veins. Kaname opened his eyes, staring at Zero with an amused expression. He looked down, and Zero followed his gaze to see that he had unconsciously started mirroring Kaname and was brushing his own fingers through Sanguis's soft fur. 

Zero quickly pulled his hands away, as if he had been burned. This only served to elicit a displeased growl from Sanguis as the black wolf insistently pushed his head under Zero's palms until the ex-human resumed the petting. Zero hesitantly looked up at Kaname. 

"You're not offended." 

Kaname's smile was almost predatory. "Far from it." 

Zero sighed and then closed his eyes, leaning against Kaname's shoulder and surrendering to bliss as they sat together petting each other's daemons. This changed everything, and Zero didn't even want to think about what it could mean for the war given the existing tensions. But for now at least, they could have this moment to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i'm making a few updates to this fic collection, so don't be too alarmed when you see stuff getting moved around/deleted -- i'm making a table of contents for this fic so you can browse it quickly and jump around to ficlets you're actually interested in reading. 
> 
> also, "name" is getting deleted, edited, and moved to a fic collection that's more ... nsfw 😂 so keep an eye out for that


	11. Remote Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> person of interest au -- 
> 
> many years ago, cross developed yuuki, a powerful artificial intelligence that could predict when people were about to commit crimes. he limited her capabilities so that the only information she ever provided was a single number (which in turn referred to a specific person's citizenship id). cross is joined in his mission to help out these 'numbers' by yagari (an ex-secret agent), zero (also an ex-secret agent), and rose (a dog they rescued from a number). the team is forced into hiding when they fail to prevent the rise of samaritan, an equally powerful AI without any restrictions to hold it back. kaname, who has a strange connection to yuuki, permanently joins the team. they take on fake identities while trying to find a way to beat samaritan, temporarily losing zero in the process before zero manages to escape and make it back to the team.

For once, it was only the two of them in the subway. 

Cross had gone back to the Academy, claiming that there was some kind of mandatory event he needed to attend. Yagari dropped by briefly to let them know he needed to borrow Rose for a case that had just come up, and after exchanging a few barbs with Kaname he headed back to the precinct with the Malinois cheerfully following at his heel. 

Zero was focused on the stack of files on Cross's desk, flipping through each of the profiles and assessing the information they had gathered. Logically, he knew that he was not in the best frame of mind to be returning to the field so soon, but Zero couldn't bear sitting around doing nothing while everyone else risked their lives. Even with Yuuki's surveillance system and capabilities severely crippled, she was sending them Numbers with increasing frequency as Samaritan doubled down on those it perceived as a threat. 

"You should be resting," elegant fingers came into view and plucked the manila folders from him as Kaname took a seat by Zero's side. "She tells me that you haven't been sleeping properly." 

"I don't need rest," Zero scowled. "Can't rest anyways, not with Samaritan constantly looming over us like some Sword of Damocles." 

There was also the matter of his inability to distinguish between his nightmares and reality every time he so much as blinked or closed his eyes in any capacity. After having lived his past few weeks in an endless loop of simulations, Zero sometimes found himself wondering if he had even actually managed to break out of Samaritan's facility. Perhaps this was yet another simulation, one that he had failed and now Samaritan knew the location of their hideout and was dispatching agents to finish everyone off. 

"Zero.  _ Zero. _ "

He looked up at the sound of his name, taken aback at how close Kaname's face was to his. The brunet's concerned expression melted into one of relief. "I thought I lost you there for a moment." 

Absentmindedly, Zero stared back and replied, "You did." And then blinked as Kaname suddenly stiffened and Zero realized what it was he had just said. Zero had only been referring to his temporary lapse in attention, but Zero was very well aware that the subject of his captivity was something that still haunted Kaname. There was that look of guilt on Kaname's face again, prompting Zero to speak up before Kaname tried to apologize. "It was my choice, Kaname, and I don't regret it." 

Back then, when he had seen Samaritan's agents converging on them, Zero didn't even need to think twice before shoving Takamiya and Kaname into the lift before turning around and engaging in the firefight to buy the two enough time to escape. If Kaname was to ever be captured by Samaritan, the war they were fighting would be over in a heartbeat. The unhinged AI would undoubtedly exploit Kaname's connection to Yuuki to find all traces of the remaining resistance. 

But if Zero was being honest with himself, he was less concerned with the ramifications this course would have on the greater good. No, it was the thought of the torture that Kaname would be subjected to that spurred his body to move as he pushed Kaname behind him protectively and into the lift. It took Zero all his strength not to turn around when the lift began to ascend and Kaname's anguished screams of his name rang out into the hallway. 

"Zero." 

He blinked, realizing that he had drifted off again. 

"I sometimes miss when the world made more sense," Zero sighed after a moment. "Back when AIs weren't fighting for control over the world's fate and when everything could be fixed with the press of a button." Before their war with Samaritan, back to the days when they were still at the library and all he had to worry about was how to save the Numbers. Before Yuuki had been reduced to the shell of what she used to be. 

Kaname leaned into Zero's side, reaching out to take one of Zero's hands. "But then we never would have gotten to known each other," the brunet teased, linking their fingers together. "Imagine how dull your life would be without me." 

Zero left out a soft huff of laughter. "I doubt you'd just let me go that easily." He was sure that even if Samaritan had not become a threat, Kaname would have found some way to insert himself into Zero's life over and over again until Zero was forced to accept Kaname as a permanent fixture of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! finally getting to write a snippet of a poi au i had in mind for a while now <3 i would have liked to write a whole fic to develop the characters out more, but uhhh i have too many other ideas going on at the same time oops


	12. No Rhyme Nor Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> canon au -- 
> 
> after witnessing zero taking _her_ blood, kaname snaps and confronts the hunter in his room.

He burst into the hunter's room angrily, clambering onto the bed and one clawed hand reaching out to pin the startled ex-human to the wall. Kaname stopped inches in front of Zero's face, his lips pulled back in snarl. 

"You dared to _feed_ from her?" 

The maddening image of Zero, eyes burning bright red, dipping his fangs into _her_ neck replayed in Kaname's mind over and over again like a nightmarish reel. It had taken him everything at that moment to not step forward and wrench Zero off of her. He would not let her see that side of him. His barely suppressed rage was bursting forward now however, and Kaname allowed his oppressive presence to envelop them both. 

"Have I not told you already, that is solely _my_ right." 

His anger was cold, yet it danced through his veins like liquid fire all the same. His mind was a cacophony, his very being filled with envious ire at the transgression he had witnessed. True to his pureblood nature, Kaname was a possessive man, and he was not generous enough to willingly _share_ what was his. He had already warned the hunter once, but it seemed like Zero had not taken his message to heart. 

Digging his claws in, Kaname wondered at the way Zero's skin yielded so easily to him. He bared his fangs, sinking them into the junction between Zero's neck and shoulder and drawing on the hunter's blood harshly. To his disgust, Kaname could taste _her_ , and unconsciously he found himself taking larger gulps of the tainted blood. 

Lost in his frantic feeding, Kaname failed to realize just how hard he was draining the hunter. He only stopped when the body beneath him began to tremble, weakened from the sudden loss of blood. Licking the bite wounds close, Kaname stilled as Zero slowly twined his fingers into the pureblood's hair, pulling Kaname closer to him. 

"And I told _you,_ " the hunter whispered harshly into Kaname's ear. "To stop fooling around with that 'sister' of yours." 

It was madness, what they were doing to each other. If there had been any reason left in either of them, they would have stopped whatever this thing between them was the moment they left Cross Academy. But Kaname could not help it, there was something dark within him that would not let go of Zero even though he knew he should. 

He still hadn't managed to forgive Yuuki for offering Zero her blood, but to see his very nemesis pressing her revolting neck up to Zero's willingly bared fangs… Kaname growled, his claws retracting as he forcefully cupped Zero's face in his hands. Zero stared back stubbornly, seemingly unremorseful that he had allowed another vampire the privilege of feeling his fangs -- a privilege that was supposed to be reserved for Kaname and Kaname _alone._

The only thing that stopped Kaname was the genuine flash of hurt he saw in Zero's eyes, which was quickly replaced by a mask of impassivity. But it was more than enough to give Kaname a glimpse of how his hunter really felt. 

The green-eyed beast of envy was slowly retreating, soothed by the closeness between them and the affirmation of Zero's feelings for him. Nipping at Zero's lower lip playfully, Kaname allowed himself to indulge in the familiar taste of his lover. "So this is meant to be punishment, my knight?" His tone was amused, but there was a strong undercurrent of displeasure lining it. 

It was infuriating that he, the king, should have to suffer in silence and do nothing but watch as his beloved took the dirty blood of that witch. 

But perhaps the punishment was well-deserved -- he had been neglecting his hunter for far too long. One of his hands slid down Zero's shirt and began to pop free each button as Kaname trailed a series of butterfly kisses along Zero's jaw. "Should I take you somewhere far away then?" He chuckled lowly, reaching the hunter's collarbones and his tongue danced insistently across the sensitive skin. "What do you think? Should we abandon all our duties and obligations and steal away by ourselves into the dark?" 

Zero seemed unimpressed by his words, pulling back from Kaname's insistent attentions to scowl at him. "That's not a funny joke, Kaname." 

"I'm not joking." 

And he really wasn't. Kaname was tired of clandestine meetings and stolen kisses, tired of playing pretend as Yuuki's doting fiance, tired of having to share Zero with all these other people who were obsessed with making Zero do their bidding. Zero was _his_ \-- he was the only one who had the right to move Zero around on the chessboard called life, and in turn Zero was the only one who had the right to determine Kaname's fate. "If you ask it of me, I will gladly do so," his finger traced the planes of Zero's chest, enraptured by the low moan he managed to elicit from his reticent hunter.

He meant it. If Zero asked him to reclaim his throne and massacre every last vampire until they were the only two left, Kaname would willingly do it. 

There was a faint flush to Zero's cheeks, and the hunter pushed Kaname down on the bed, his calloused hands covering the pureblood's mouth. "Don't say that," his lover murmured, and Kaname shivered at the sensation of Zero's fingers gently running across his face. "If anyone heard that, you'll be locked away like _that woman_ was." 

Smiling wryly, Kaname turned and pressed his lips against Zero's palm, "They can try. Besides, they most certainly already think me mad." 

That seemed to trigger something in his lover and Zero leaned down, a deadly anger burning in his eyes. "I won't allow them," the hunter growled, capturing Kaname's mouth with a rough possessiveness. "You forget that you're _mine_ too."

Kaname groaned at Zero's aggressive display, reaching up and burrowing his fingers into the hunter's silver locks. "Yours," he agreed breathlessly when they parted for air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand we've hit the end of my backlog of fics :^D  
> my update schedule will be slowing for a bit as i try to get more writing done OTL
> 
> (also this scene is supposed to take place sometime after zero took sara's blood, in case you were wondering who the 'she' kaname kept referring to was)


	13. Drama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> romcom au -- 
> 
> Zero tries his best not to lose his fucking mind when Yuuki's favorite character from the hit TV series 'Vampire Knight' is suddenly transported into the real world. It doesn't help that this 'Kaname' guy keeps following him around like some lovestruck idiot, and Zero is seriously contemplating if he can get away with punching 'Kaname' in the face when Yuuki isn't looking.

When he walked into the living room to see his sister fidgeting nervously next to a strange man who looked an awfully lot like her favorite character from a particular romance drama, Kiryuu Zero decided that he was not going to deal with this. 

"No," he announced before Yuuki could say anything, pivoting and turning back the way he came from. It was not his business if Yuuki decided that she loved her favorite character enough to pay money for someone to dress up as him, and if she was going to bring said paid actor back to their house, well. He definitely was going to stay far, _far_ away from whatever crazy scheme Yuuki was cooking up. 

"Please, Zero!" His sister chased after him, catching him before he could enter the privacy of his room and latching onto his arm. "There's a good explanation for this, I swear!" 

He raised a dubious eyebrow at her, eyes flickering up momentarily to stare at the brunet stranger that had followed them into the hallway. "Yuuki," he sighed, turning around to properly face his sister. "I'm not going to judge you for whatever it is you like to get up to you in your own free time. Just make sure that you get him out of the house before Cross gets back." He was pretty sure their guardian would throw a fit if he were to find that Yuuki had brought a man home. 

Yuuki shook her head vehemently. "You're getting this all wrong!" As she flailed for a bit, trying to find a proper explanation, the stranger began moving towards them. 

"I have decided," the brunet stopped in front of Zero, taking one of Zero's hands in his (in the background, Zero heard Yuuki's horrified, "Kaname-san, _no!_ "). Zero felt very weirded out by the cosplayer's actions and discreetly tried to remove his hand, but it only caused the other man to tighten his grip. "That I have fallen in love with you, Zero-kun." 

_What._

"Okay no," Zero wrenched his hand forcefully out of the stranger's grip. "Yuuki, you can have your weird creepy hobby but do _not_ involve me in this." 

Ignoring his sister's disbelieving gasps and indignant splutters, Zero jabbed a finger into this 'Kaname' actor's chest. "And you. I don't care how much she's paying you, please stop saying those cheesy lines. They're not flattering, they're straight up creepy." He was unsettled by the lack of reaction from the other man. Either 'Kaname' was really good at his job, or Yuuki had somehow stumbled across a psycho and had invited said psycho straight into their house. 

"Zero, he's not an actor!" Zero stared at Yuuki incredulously as his younger sister finally had enough and inserted herself between the two men. "I was trying to tell you earlier -- I don't know why or how, but this is the actual Kuran Kaname from the Vampire Knight drama!" 

...Oh god his sister had finally lost her mind. 

"I'm serious, Zero! I was re-watching season one of the show, and next thing I knew my computer screen got _weird_ and started warping? And when I blinked again, everything was back to normal but Kaname-san had appeared right next to me!" 

Honestly, it sounded a lot more like Yuuki was tripping on acid than anything else, but Zero relented as he saw the desperate look on his sister's face. 

"Alright, let's say you're right and this…'Kaname' is the Kaname from your series. What are you going to do?" 

When his sister didn't respond right away, fiddling with her fingers and peeking up at him hesitantly, Zero's heart sank in his chest. Oh no, she was going to ask him for some crazy favor, wasn't she? 

"Yuuki," he warned. "Whatever it is you're thinking -- _no._ " 

He was hit with the full force of Yuuki's puppy eyes. 

"Please let him stay in your room, Zero! We need to temporarily hide him from Kaien-san until we can figure out how to send him back," she begged. 

"Yes," 'Kaname' nodded, a gentle smile on his face. "We should get to know each other properly, Zero-kun." 

Fuck no. Over his dead body. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> something humorous to offset these awful times we're living in. stay safe everyone!!
> 
> good news, i have stopped being lazy and i've started writing the next chapter of tough act, so i guess look forward to seeing an update within the next week if not later this week? xDD


	14. Insult

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ??? au -- 
> 
> zero and kaname end up in a strange place after aidou's science experiment blows up on them 
> 
> (see if you can guess which au this chapter is referring to lmao)

"Kuran, just admit it, we're lost." 

"We're not _lost._ We're minorly inconvenienced." 

"No, we're most definitely lost." 

Zero sighed, trudging alongside the pureblood as they followed the forest path. How did he even get stuck in this situation? Zero scowled. Right, Aidou and one of his numerous science experiments had exploded all over the pureblood, and Zero was just the unlucky bastard who happened to be passing by when it happened. One blink later, he was suddenly standing in the middle of a forest next to Kuran. 

He squinted at the light in the distance. "Well, I think we've finally reached the edge of the forest, so that's something worth celebrating." Kuran shot a triumphant look at him, and Zero rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean we're not lost. We still have no idea where Aidou's experiment sent us." 

They eventually came out to a grassy field, and Zero raised an eyebrow at the magnificent castle looming in front of them. This definitely did not look familiar. At all. He had never seen something like this on any of his hunts. But what really confused him was -- 

"Kuran, are those _knights_ in full chain armor on the castle walls?" 

Where the fuck had they landed? 

Their approach clearly did not go unnoticed, as one of the figures suddenly called out in a strange accent, "Hello! Who is it?" 

Kuran exchanged a look with the reticent prefect before calling back, "We're lost travelers. Can you tell us where we are?" 

"Lost travelers?" The man sounded skeptical. "Where are you traveling from?" 

"That doesn't matter, we simply wish to know where we currently are." 

"Oh, it doesn't matter? Who do you think you are, you tiny-brained wipers of other people's bottoms!" 

Zero groaned as the knight unleashed a torrent of god awful insults. Was it really hope too much for them to have a single moment of peace? He would be more than happy to return to the quiet of the forest. Unfortunately for him, Kuran was still rather fixated on finding answers. "I demand that you tell us where we --"

"You don't frighten me, you stupid looking pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, you sons of a silly person." The knight -- if you could really call him that -- blew a raspberry in their direction. Zero was starting to feel a headache. It was just their luck to run into a moron. He was about to pull Kuran aside and tell the pureblood that they were probably better off elsewhere when he realized that Kuran was staring up at the knight with a deeply offended look on his face. 

"Now look here, you --" 

"I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time." 

Zero could just _see_ Kuran snapping, the pureblood's aura threatening to burst free at the barrage of insults they had received. He groaned, desperately trying to pull Kuran away. "Let it go, it's not worth it," he tried to convince Kuran, but to no avail. "He's just an idiotic human, don't blow our cover now." 

"This is your last chance," the pureblood seethed. "Answer my question or --" 

He was cut off once again as the knight called out to someone behind him, "Fetchez la vache!" A second later, a fucking _cow_ was thrown over the castle wall in their direction. 

"Oh shit," Zero mumbled, forgetting temporarily that the pureblood was more than capable of defending himself. He grabbed Kuran's arm and pulled the brunet with him as he retreated. It proved to be a wise decision as a number of other livestock were hurled over the castle walls, goats and chickens raining down on them from the sky. 

"You can let go of me now," Kuran said rather stiffly by the time they were safely back in the cover of the forest. Zero released Kuran's arm as if he had been burned, not realizing that he had still been gripping onto the other student.

"Kiryuu-kun." He looked up at Kuran, wary of the strange expression on Kuran's face. After a moment of hesitation, Kuran inclined his head. "I apologize for my loss in composure. And I owe you thanks for pulling me to safety."

"Sorry, could you repeat that?" Did Kuran seriously just apologize and thank him in the same breath? 

"Don't be obtuse, Kiryuu-kun." 

There was a moment of silence, before Zero heard something that made him frown. "Wait, Kuran, is that music?" The pureblood was also frowning, his head cocked in the same direction Zero was sure the sound was coming from. 

_"Brave Sir Robin ran away."_

_"No!"_

_"Bravely ran away, away!"_

_"I didn't!"_

Oh for fuck's sake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy april fool's! \ o / 
> 
> sorry for this crack fic right after my previous one haha  
> in case you haven't guessed it yet somehow, this is a monty python and the holy grail au LOL  
> you have no idea how hard it was to incorporate monty python lines into kaname and zero's interactions


	15. Ironic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> canon au -- 
> 
> zero eventually loses the fight and descends into the madness of a bloodthirsty level e. kaname, who is bonded to him, also loses his sanity.

It was ironic, he mused, how much his life had changed. 

His dear girl was now his greatest enemy, his trusted inner circle nothing more than a group of treacherous traitors. And his knight…

Kaname drew the snapping, growling form closer to him, his arms twining around his beloved like the shackles they were meant to be. "Was it them, dearest?" he murmured lowly into Zero's ears, nuzzling the large Kuran rose that had been tattooed over the taming seal on Zero's neck. "Were they the ones who tried to take you from me?" 

He had been a _fool,_ blinded by sentiment for his previous lieutenants. But he would never make such a costly mistake again. 

Glaring coldly down at the prisoners lying on the ground, he rose from his throne, holding his treasure close to him as he callously passed by the people he once called friends. He tightened his grip around Zero as he recalled just how close he had been to losing his lover. "Take them away," he ordered, not bothering to stay and see if his guards would follow his command. He knew they would. 

Purebloods were naturally revered, and Kaname even more so for his Kuran lineage. But after his ascendancy to the throne, no one dared to speak up against him anymore. He had reclaimed his crown with a vengeance, destroying the Vampire Senate and removing all opposition to his rule. 

They thought him power hungry. No, there was only one reason for everything he did, only one reason why he still breathed. 

"Feeding time, darling," he announced as he opened the door to a guest bedroom. The gaunt and drugged figure chained to the foot of the bed was a husk of the person he used to be, but Kaname could still make out the proud look in Isaya's defiant eyes. Once upon a time, the little show of rebellion might've fondly reminded him of his lover. But nowadays he didn't have the patience for anyone who wasn't Zero. 

At the scent of fresh blood, Zero almost twisted himself out of Kaname's grip, muscles trembling as he prepared to pounce. But Kaname caught Zero before he could hurt himself, running a hand through the silver locks he adored. 

"Slowly," he whispered lovingly as he set them both down in front of Isaya. "Go ahead, take as much as you want." 

As soon as Kaname's hold on him loosened, Zero sprang forward, baring his fangs and sinking them into the blond pureblood's neck. Kaname continued to stroke his beloved's hair, narrowing his eyes at the determined stoic expression on Isaya's face as he tried not to react to the pain of Zero's fangs tearing into him. 

Kaname's lips curled in disgust. How disgusting, to react in such an ungrateful way when he had the privilege of feeling Zero's fangs in his body and Zero's mouth eagerly sucking on his neck. Kaname would've offered Zero blood himself, but he knew that he could not afford to be weakened during such a crucial time and therefore would not be able to provide enough blood for Zero. 

Still, his inner beast paced restlessly as his eyes tracked Zero's every movement. It only settled when Isaya finally lost consciousness and Zero pulled back, crimson eyes flashing in dissatisfaction at the slack form of its prey. That burning red gaze turned to Kaname as Zero's attention shifted to his new prey. Kaname cast a quick look at Isaya's pale form, deciding that Zero didn't need much more blood, and then opened his arms to his lover. 

He complied eagerly as Zero pinned him to the soft carpet, and then an hot mouth and throbbing fangs were buried in his neck. Kaname groaned in pleasure, the hand in his beloved's hair pushing the ex-human closer to him. "Take as you like," he panted. 

Whatever. Zero could drain him if his darling wished for it. He could always eat one of those traitors to replenish his strength anyways. 

Eventually, the desperate draws on his blood slowed, and Kaname could pinpoint the exact moment Zero's consciousness finally came back. The body in his arms stiffened, and then there was a heavy sigh accompanied by slow, soft licks to the puncture wounds on his throat. Kaname trembled at the gentle ministrations. Finally, Zero drew back, a look of concern and guilt painted across his lovely face. 

"Kaname…" 

A pale hand came up to wipe at the tears that were falling freely from his eyes. "Zero," Kaname sobbed, pulling his lover closer and down to him. His shaking hands cupped the sides of his beloved's face. "You're here, Zero." The fog of despair and madness in his mind finally receded. "I missed you, love." He was pressing desperate kisses to his lover's lips, reveling in the feeling of having Zero here, with him, in both mind and body. 

"Kaname, I love you." Kaname could not help the soft wail that escaped him as Zero whispered the words he had longed to hear. 

"I love you too, Zero. Don't go, please don't go," he pleaded. 

But he was too late, and Kaname could see the moment Zero lost himself to the madness, the single moment of lucidity over in a flash. In response, his own psyche shattered again as the dark mass of rage and anguish rose to the forefront of his mind, clouding his reasoning and logic once more. Kaname hugged the satiated and relaxed form of his lover close to his body, taking a moment to catch himself. 

Zero still needed more blood to fully recover from the assassination attempt against him. A lot more blood. Kaname also felt a spike of genuine fear as he mused on how short Zero's moment of sanity was. He smiled grimly as he gathered Zero gently in his arms and left the guest bedroom, giving orders to his servants to take Isaya back to the dungeons. He would have to go pureblood hunting again soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i always see stories where either zero or kaname falls into madness, or how the madness only occurs when one of them dies/is dying. i thought it would be fun with play with the idea that once one of them falls into the darkness, the other follows. it became a little angstier than i first planned it to be though.
> 
> there were a lot of things i cut out of this ficlet in order to make it fit my self-imposed <1000 word count, including:  
> \- kaname originally having thought about giving up his own life to either feed zero's never ending thirst or try and revert zero back into a human, but realizing that zero would be vulnerable in a world without him. so instead he took back his throne and rebuilt the world into one where he could better protect his level e lover.  
> \- yuuki and the night class leading the resistance movement against the mad pureblood king and his level e consort.  
> \- zero occasionally rising out of his madness for a brief few moments after he's consumed copious amounts of pure blood. his brief moments of lucidity also trigger kaname out of his madness. the two of them being initially weighed down by guilt at the way they were living, and kaname being too far gone to not do anything he could to keep zero by his side. when the madness comes back for zero, it takes kaname too.  
> \- zero's madness is one that consumes his consciousness. kaname's leaves him lucid enough to feel the pain and despair.  
> \- kaname going pureblood hunting so that he could provide sustenance for zero. as zero's moments of lucidity became more and more rare, kaname became more desperate to find 'pure' blood. hence him keeping purebloods drugged, weakened, and locked up in his dungeons.  
> \- warning for gore? kaname ripping out other purebloods' hearts and feeding it to zero in hopes that consuming something this direct would keep the madness at bay for longer.


	16. Playground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> single parents au -- 
> 
> while taking his daughter to the park, kaname runs into an old friend -- one kiryuu zero, who also happens to be the father of his daughter's best friend. they were rivals in high school, tentative acquaintances by the end of it, and briefly had a short summer fling before they moved on with their lives. now, years later, it seems like fate has brought them back together again.

Out of all the familiar faces from his past, Kiryuu Zero was the last person Kaname would've expected to run into, especially at the park playground of all places.

"Zero," he greeted with a hesitant smile as Ai clung to his leg. "It's been a while. I didn't realize Ai's Ren-chan was your daughter." 

It was a little nerve-wracking, suddenly coming face-to-face with the one person in his life that had managed to always elicit a strong reaction from him without fail. 

After a heartbeat, Zero smiled softly back at him. "It's good to see you too, Kaname." Kaname's stomach twisted into knots at the sight, and he hoped he wasn't too flushed. Zero gently nudged his daughter forward from her hiding spot behind him. "Ren, say hi to Kaname-san." 

"Hi, Ai's papa," Ren blinked up at him. 

Kaname chuckled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Ren-chan. Ai's told me a lot about you." 

Ren flashed a pleased, shy smile at him. "Ai's my best friend!" 

As Kaname's eyes flickered back up to Zero, he couldn't help but notice just how different Zero was. Zero carried himself with a quiet confidence, exhibiting none of the self-doubt and hesitation that he had been burdened with in the past.

The silver-haired man standing before him was nothing like the reticent teenager Kaname had known in his youth. In high school, Zero had been moody and hostile, and the two of them had constantly clashed over their rivalry for Yuuki's affections. To be fair to Zero, Kaname had been just as awful. He had been needlessly petty and mean to Zero, not batting an eye whenever he did something quite despicable to try and win over Yuuki's heart. It was infuriating to see Zero gracefully accepting his defeat when Yuuki did ultimately choose Kaname, and Kaname had been forced to admit that Zero was probably a much better person that he ever would be. They did manage to bury the hatchet by the time Kaname graduated from high school, and Zero had even attended his commencement ceremony to wish him luck. 

Unsurprisingly, Yuuki had broken up with him a few years after they started dating due to 'irreconcilable differences'. Their priorities and goals in life had been too different for her, and it was thankfully an amicable parting. Still, it made Kaname muse how fickle it all was. He had put Zero through literal hell and back in high school for this one girl, and not even a few years later they were already saying their goodbyes. 

During the summer after he graduated from college, he had moved temporarily back to their hometown while searching for employment, and to his surprise he found that Zero was still living in the area. They'd accidentally encountered each other at a mutual friend's dinner party, and that had sparked a tentative conversation that lasted late into the night. 

Their brief summer affair had been some of the best months of his life. 

They'd both moved on though -- Kaname to another city for work, and Zero across the country for school. Kaname had resigned himself to never seeing Zero again, left only with fond memories of the time they spent together. 

"I'm sorry I missed your wedding," Kaname found himself saying even as he internally beat himself up for the poor choice in topic. "I would've flown back for it, but there were extenuating circumstances." And now he sounded like he was making excuses. 

"It's fine, Kaname. I wasn't able to make it to yours, so I think we're even on that account." 

Kaname couldn't help but smile bitterly at the reminder of his failed marriage. His parents had set him up with a lovely young woman, and while their first few years of married life had been rather blissful, it fell apart the moment she became pregnant. She became withdrawn and discontent, and not even Ai's birth could lift her spirits. Kaname had come home one day to divorce papers and a teary letter explaining that she had not been ready for motherhood, and while she loved them both very much she believed this move was in everyone's best interest. Last thing he'd heard, she was working to help those who lived in war-torn countries. It was a noble cause, but Kaname couldn't help but think how ironic it was that she had torn their family apart to do so. 

Sensing the sudden change in Kaname's mood, Zero's voice grew more concerned. "Kaname?" 

He tried to smile, his hand on Ai's shoulder unconsciously pulling his daughter close to him. "That's alright, you didn't miss much." He could see Zero's eyes widen slightly in realization at the bare skin on Kaname's ring finger. His smile became wry. Well, it wasn't like he was trying to hide it anyways. "I'm afraid it's just me and Ai now. But we've been terribly happy together, haven't we, princess?" Kaname gently patted his daughter's soft curls with a soft smile as Ai beamed up at him. 

There was a pained look on Zero's face. "I'm sorry," the other man said after a while. "I didn't mean to --" 

Kaname shook his head. "Don't worry about it," and he was starting to realize that perhaps Zero had gotten the wrong idea. "My former wife decided that our marriage wasn't something she was looking for in her life." 

"Ah." Kaname braced himself for the usual round of sympathetic apologies that usually accompanied this declaration, so he was surprised when Zero said instead, "I guess that makes two of us." 

What?

Two of -- 

Oh. 

_ Oh. _

This time, he was the one eyeing Zero's bare ring finger. And stupidly enough, he could feel his heartbeat accelerate as the implications sunk in. Did that mean -- could it -- was it possible -- 

"Would you like to catch up over coffee?" he found himself asking. 

And when he received a slow, brilliant smile, Kaname thought that perhaps this time they could finally get things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> while working on this prompt, i wasn't sure if i wanted to do a kid fic or a they have kids fic. in the end, i went with the latter, exploring the whole idea of unexpectedly reconnecting with someone. i think it's very trope typical to have you find your love in high school -- or you find The One and you're happy together forever -- but i wanted to do less story trope and more of a real life take. so i went with the idea of the two of them having their own lives, still having found happiness, but ultimately finding each other again when they're at a much different point in their life and getting together then.


	17. Eye Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> orpheus & eurydice au -- 
> 
> kaname cannot accept zero's death. in his sorrow, he searches for a way to bring his beloved back, eventually finding his way to the kingdom of the dead. pitying his plight, death agrees to return zero to the world of living, with one condition -- zero will follow behind kaname on the way out, but if kaname ever turns around before he returns to the realm of the living, zero will be lost to him forever. on his way out of death's domain, kaname grows more despondent when he cannot sense or hear zero's presence, and he begins to wonder if death had played him for a fool.

The only thing he could hear was the unsteadiness of his own breathing and the soft echoes of his footsteps against the rocky path. Kaname's hands balled into fists as he forced himself to keep walking, each step laced with uncertainty. 

_ Just a little more, _ he tried to convince himself. 

But it was hard. He wanted so desperately to turn around to catch just a single glimpse of silver hair and lilac eyes. If he could just  _ see _ a hint of his beloved, it would give him enough strength to carry on for the rest of his damned life. 

"I miss you," he said to the silence, wondering if his beloved could hear him. "I miss you so much I'm driven mad by the absence of your presence by my side." The temptation to turn around, just for a second, threatened to overwhelm common sense. 

Kaname took another painful step forward. 

"Are you angry with me?" 

And another step.    


"I casted aside the world to search for you." 

One foot in front of the other. 

"I don't know if you're --" his voice broke as he stopped, trembling. It hurt so damn much. Ever since that fateful day, he felt like he had been free falling into madness. Time and sense lost all meaning to him. All he knew was the hollow ache that clawed at his stomach, the agony of a never ending thirst that could not be fulfilled. 

"I don't know if you're even here." 

He couldn't allow himself to think of that. He  _ couldn't. _ Because if he did, Kaname wasn't sure if he could ever come back from the brink of despair. 

"If this turns out to be another cruel trick, I don't think I can hold back this time." 

He forced his legs to move. 

"I already did it once. I don't have the strength to do it again." 

He longed to hear an answer -- any answer. But there was only silence, and the sound of his own heartbeat ringing in his ears. 

"Please," he pleaded quietly. He was finally drawing closer to the entrance, closer to the end. 

But there was still nothing. 

Something inside him finally broke, and -- 

Kaname turned around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you know the original story of orpheus and eurydice, you know that it's not a happy ending (sorry) 
> 
> finally done with my 7 days of madness where i tried to post something once every day OTL  
> gonna be more busy with work from now on, so we're probably back to posting 1-2 times a week


	18. On the Farm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stardew valley au -- 
> 
> zero as the new farmer in town, kaname as elliott (the writer living by the beach), and the unnamed narrator as leah (the artist living in the woods). the three are the newest residents from out of town, with zero being the most recent arrival. the narrator catches up with kaname by the lake and realizes that their friend has had a rather interesting development in his life regarding the new farmer.

"You look preoccupied," I greeted Kaname as I sat down next to him by the lake, setting aside my art supplies at the sight of his uncharacteristically distracted expression. "Something happen?" 

The writer blinked at what must've been my sudden appearance, but to his credit he recovered quite quickly. I don't think I've ever really seen him caught off guard -- or really, act anything other than the polite gentleman. The townsfolk hated it, naturally, but as someone who was used to much worse -- much,  _ much _ worse -- I think I rather enjoyed his unintrusive presence. 

We weren't the closest of friends, yet there was something comfortable about the distance between us. We were at least closer to each other than anyone else in this town, having moved here at around the same time from the same city. There was nothing quite like bonding over being the new 'spectacle' in a small town. 

"The new farmer," he began, and then stopped. 

That was right. I had heard about the newest resident of Stardew Valley, though I had yet to meet him. I'd been too caught up in one of my art projects, and by the time I resurfaced from my home nearly a month had gone by since the farmer's arrival. Not that I was completely deprived of human interaction -- Kaname had been kind enough to drop by occasionally with something from Stardop Saloon, and we would catch up over a nice bottle of wine. 

"Zero, right?" I recalled. It was a little hard to ignore the buzz of conversation surrounding the enigmatic farmer. 

Kaname's lips quirked up at the mention of the farmer's name. 

"Yes," and there was something definitive in my friend's voice that caused me to take a second look at him. There was a definite hint of  _ warmth _ that I'd never heard in -- well actually, ever. "We were discussing my writing the other day, and he asked if I was writing a romance novel." 

"And what did you say?" 

There was now a faintly embarrassed look on Kaname's face. "I," he started to say, glancing at me as if to gauge my reaction. I hoped I didn't give my giddiness away. It was an unexpected treat to see Kaname's equivalent of being flustered over the new farmer. "I told him yes." 

Oh wow. 

Now I really wanted to meet the man who had managed to bring out this side to Kaname. Who had managed to make Kaname cast away his carefully thought out responses. Who had managed to throw Kaname so off balance that he did something like that. 

Because as far as I knew, Kaname still had  _ no _ idea what he wanted to write, and he'd confided in me just once that he didn't think writing romance was his forte. (We had been a bit more than inebriated after celebrating the successful sale of my first art piece.) 

"Indeed," Kaname remarked dryly. "Now I find myself in a bit of a difficult situation. I was hoping a stroll in the woods would clear my head and perhaps I'd be able to think of something, but I've yet to find inspiration." 

An impish thought took hold of me. 

"Well then," I began slyly, gathering my unused art supplies. I had planned to do some sketching by the lake today, but it seemed like there was going to be a change in plans. "Since Zero managed to inspire you to start  _ something _ at the very least, shall we visit him on the farm? Perhaps some extra conversation would do you good." Kaname looked like he was about to object to the idea, so I swiftly cut in, "I haven't met him yet because of my project, so you can introduce us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is this in first person? it started originally with zero as leah and the unnamed narrator as the farmer observing zero and kaname's relationship, but then i couldn't find a way to spin the story so i ended up altering it. i kind of liked the unobtrusive unnamed narrator feeling, so i stuck with it haha. (totally not because i haven't figured out who should play what role for the rest of the cast) 
> 
> i'm sorry for not updating in a while, and only posting this short piece here (zero doesn't even appear, smh) ; w ;   
> work is getting crazy and i've been feeling burnt out from writing, so i took a break. hopefully i'll start updating some more, but we'll see OTL


	19. Peaceful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> stardew valley au -- 
> 
> continuation of "on the farm". set a few months after, when the narrator, kaname, and zero have become better friends. the narrator runs into kaname and zero at the night market, and has a little fun at kaname's expense.

Wrapping my hands around the warm cup of coffee, I looked around indecisively. 

I had heard about the Night Market from the mayor when I dropped by his house to turn in some forms, and though it had been rather difficult to understand Kaien's usual babble, I'd manage to make out that there was some kind of event going on this week at the beach. A little further inquiry at the general store revealed that the Night Market was going to be in town for the next three days. 

To avoid the crowd of people, I decided to drop by later in the evening. The crowd had thinned considerably -- in fact, there were only the merchants and a few townsfolk milling about. There was something peaceful about the night, and I shivered as a chilly ocean breeze swept through the market. 

I couldn't quite decide on what it was I wanted to do. I didn't have much put away in terms of savings, and from what I could see every stall required some sort of payment. Except perhaps the mermaid show. 

My eyes finally landed on the artist's stall, where a painting of what looked like a desert was on display. There was a somewhat tacky sign next to him declaring himself as a world famous painter. 

Fighting the urge to smile, I decided to check out his piece. 

"I see you have a fine eye for art," the artist proclaimed loudly as I approached him. "This piece is titled 'Solar Kingdom', and you can bring it home with you at an unbelievable price of 1200 gold!" 

"Sounds like a ripoff," a familiar voice interjected. 

I couldn't help but grin as I turned and saw Zero approaching us. "Hey Zero!" I started a bit when I caught sight of who was standing next to him, and my grin widened. "Oh hey Kaname, I didn't expect to see you here. I thought you were working on your novel." 

Kaname wasn't too amused at my attempts at a subtle wink. Thankfully for him, Zero's attention had been on the artist and his painting, and not at the exchange happening behind his back. 

"Ripoff? Sir, I am  _ offended!  _ I will have you know, I am a world famous artist!" 

Zero scoffed before ignoring the sputtering artist and turning to me. "You're drinking coffee at this time of the night?" 

I laughed sheepishly. "Ah, it's my first meal of the day." I waved a flippant hand. "Kaname gets what I'm talking about. Starving artist and all, you know?" I was only half joking. 

Kaname and I both did have terrible eating schedules, but for entirely different reasons (well, other than the shared experience of being literally too caught up in our work to remember anything else). I was almost always broke, and I'd found out the hard way that Kaname was a terrible cook. It had been a terrifying incident, but now it was just something to laugh at.

There was a decidedly concerned frown to the slant of Zero's mouth, but before he could make any remarks about our shit life choices I hastily interjected, "So what are you two up to?" 

"Zero and I crossed paths at the Saloon, and we heard that there was a submarine ride that would take us down to see the more rare ocean sights." 

I fought the urge to smirk. I met Kaname's gaze over Zero's shoulder, and instead managed to tone it down to a pleasant smile instead. 

Well, good for him. He actually made a move. 

After our first visit to Zero's house, the relationship between Kaname and Zero had stagnated into a stalemate. Kaname clearly wanted to express something  _ more _ for the farmer, and I was the awkward third wheel that Zero invited along to everything because Kaname didn't know how to tell Zero that he wanted to spend time with Zero  _ alone. _

"Ah, is that so? Well, I won't keep you. Have fun, you two!" 

"You want to join us?" 

It was very kind of Zero to offer, but I didn't think that Kaname would be too pleased if I crashed. Besides, I'd checked the prices earlier and one submarine ride was 1000 gold, and I definitely did not have that kind of money put away. 

…But really, I wasn't sure if I could stand being the third wheel  _ again _ as Zero sat on obliviously and Kaname threw proverbial daggers my way. At the rate we were going, Kaname's vague feelings of friendship towards me would evaporate faster than I could blink.

Shaking my head, I made an exaggerated show of a yawn. "That's alright. I'm getting quite tired, so I think I'll go for a caffeine nap. Besides, I wouldn't want to disturb your date." 

I turned away and headed back to the direction of the town, ignoring Zero's puzzled look at my parting statement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's another quick drabble, set in the same verse. i was listening to the night market / submarine OST from stardew valley while writing this, if you were wondering where the 'peaceful' prompt tied in.


	20. Outcast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hades and persephone au -- 
> 
> the young god of living things meets the ancient god of death.

"Will you allow me to sit with you?" 

Zero pressed his lips together, staring up at the ancient god who had appeared in front of him quite suddenly from seemingly nowhere. They stared at each other in silence, the god with a polite smile and he with wary curiosity. 

Without saying a word, Zero shifted a little to the left, indicating that the god was free to do as he wished. A chill settled into his bones as the dark-haired man sat down next to him, and Zero could tell the flowers around them were starting to wilt in the god's presence. 

From what his mother had told him, the god of death was one of the Old Wanderers. One of the ancients that had walked this world since its very inception. 

Unlike the other Wanderers, the god of death had been gentle and kind, and he had generously shared the gods' gifts with the mortals that inhabited the earth. This in turn infuriated the other six Wanderers, who had wished to keep their gifts to themselves. They punished him by making him the god of the dead, forcing him to rule over a desolate kingdom that was far away from the brilliantly warm world he'd loved. 

If Zero remembered correctly, the god's name was -- 

"Kaname." 

The dark-haired man introduced himself. There was still a gentle, politely distant smile on his face, but Zero had the feeling that Kaname was somehow _amused_ by his reaction. Or lack of one. 

"You're Shizuka's child, aren't you?" 

"Yes," Zero responded curtly. 

Kaname didn't seem deterred by his abrupt manner. "Ah, that's right. Ridou had been rather angry about Shizuka's twins. If I recall correctly, as god of the wilderness and the hunt, Ichiru made the Northern Woods his domain. Which would make you…" 

Zero wanted to sigh. Was the god of the dead being obtuse on purpose, or was he trying to test Zero's patience? 

"Zero. God of," he paused, grimacing as he remembered Kaito's teasing jeer, "growth and vegetation. Keeper of the Golden Fields. And a whole multitude of titles I don't care to remember." 

The god of war always joked that Zero was the god of _springtime._ Zero knew that Kaito had meant it as a jab at some perceived slight on his masculinity, whatever that was supposed to mean. Zero was more offended of the accusation that he favored springtime over all else. He cared for all things green and growing, and it was an insult to imply otherwise. 

"You're not at the Feast of the Full Moon." 

Wow, he hadn't noticed. What was Kaname hoping to achieve by making pointlessly obvious statements? 

"Neither are you." 

There was something slightly bitter in Kaname's eyes now. "I wasn't invited." 

That gave Zero pause. He knew that the god of the dead had always kept to himself, but he had assumed that Kaname had willingly entered into self-isolation out of distaste for the other gods. 

"They won't miss you?" The fleeting flash of bitterness had passed, and now Kaname's eyes held thinly veiled curiosity. Zero honestly couldn't understand why the ancient god was so interested in a insignificant god like himself. 

With a wry twist to his lips, Zero stared out at his flowers. With a little encouragement from him, the wilting ones near the two gods started to perk up again, color and life slowly returning to the blooms. Kaname stared in fascination. 

"I'm a bit of an outcast," he admitted. He wasn't normally one to make talk about mundane topics, or even talk about himself. But there was something off about his interaction with Kaname that was bothering Zero, and the other man had a strange way of commanding his attention. Even when he wasn't really doing anything, Kaname had something about him that drew Zero's attention. "Besides, I'm sure Ridou will be more than happy that I'm not there." 

For some reason, Ridou _hated_ him. The king of the gods generally disliked anyone with silver hair, but he seemed to especially have it out for Zero. That same animosity was not quite extended to his brother or mother, not even to his cousin. Zero wasn't one to invite trouble, and he was not all too fond of Ridou's extravagant parties anyways. It really wasn't much of a loss. 

"I suppose that makes two of us then," and some of the guarded warmth in Kaname's voice seemed to melt away into something more gentle. Zero remembered rather belatedly that Ridou had been the one who appointed Kaname to his current position as lord of the underworld. 

Zero couldn't help the twitch of his lips. "I guess it does." 

There was a brief but companionable silence. 

Then -- 

"Would you mind terribly if I whisked you away to my kingdom, then?" 

Kaname was smiling, but his eyes were dead serious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey, an update? xDD  
> sorry i haven't been posting more frequently ; w ;


	21. Break the Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> arknights au -- 
> 
> as reunion wreaks havoc in the city of lungmen, zero receives a message containing the location of reunion's leader. he sets out to confront the leader of reunion, only to discover to find that he's facing off against someone from his past.

"Hello, Zero. It's been a while, hasn't it?" 

Zero tightened his hold on his sword as he stared across the burning ruins at the smiling speaker. Brown-red eyes regarded him warmly as Kuran Kaname stood up leisurely, walking through the rubble and drawing closer to Zero's frozen form with each step.

Zero's throat felt suddenly dry. He wondered if he was hallucinating, because the sight in front of him surely was impossible. 

_ Kaname  _ was the supposed leader of Reunion? The one who was responsible for the destruction of Chernobog? The one who had unleashed this hell upon Lungmen? 

It surely had to be a lie. 

He wasn't supposed to be alive. In the aftermath of the Kazdel Civil War, Zero had asked Cross multiple times about the fate of the royal family. Cross had told him there were no survivors when Kazdel finally fell. During his brief stay at Rhodes Island, Zero had made the same inquiry and received the same confirmation. Everyone was supposed to have perished on that terrible day. 

But here Kaname was, standing right before his very eyes. 

"You won't even say hello to an old friend? Did you forget our promise from all those years ago?" 

His breath caught in his throat.

There was a resigned amusement in the other man's eyes, one that made Zero feel a sharp pang of wistful nostalgia and resentful despair. Because this,  _ this _ was no imposter. This really was his Kaname. The Kaname who he thought he had lost and mourned bitterly over for many years. 

Before Zero could blink, Kaname had somehow managed to slip behind him. He tensed at the feeling of cold fingers tracing the tattoo on the left side of his neck. 

"Rhodes Island," Kaname growled softly in his ear, the older man's fingertips lightly following each individual inked line. "What have they done to you?" 

Zero shivered. He wanted to pull away, but his limbs felt like lead. Zero could do nothing other than stand helplessly in place as Kaname wrapped his arms around him and continued to run his fingers over the darkened skin around Zero's tattoo. 

Without a doubt, Zero knew that Kaname was examining how far his oripathy had advanced. By the time Cross had sent him to Rhodes Island for treatment, Zero's skin had already been crystallizing on the surface. Rhodes Island confirmed what he had suspected all along. Zero's oripathy had already reached stage three, and his cell-Originium Assimilation was nearing dangerously lethal percentages. The tattoo was meant to buy him some more time and suppress further spread of the Originium as Rhodes Island continued to research a cure. 

"No matter," Kaname dismissed, pressing his lips against the patchwork of ink and crystal. "We can still fix this." His hand fell from Zero's neck to the hand that was still gripping his sword. "And hello to you too, Rose. I'm glad you've taken such good care of her all this time, Zero." 

Zero wanted to do something -- anything. He needed to  _ move. _ He had to get away and report back to Cross that Kaname was still alive. He had to let Cross and Rhodes Island know who they were up against. 

"You don't have to say anything," Kaname murmured, burying his face in the crook of Zero's neck. "Just come with me. Leave Lungmen and join Reunion. They're only using you -- and Lungmen will soon burn anyways." 

_ No. _

Zero jerked free from Kaname's grasp, forcing his shaking limbs back under his control as he swung Bloody Rose at Kaname. There was a sharp screech of metal as Kaname parried Zero's swing with his own blade. 

The brown-haired man's smile became sad. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this." His gaze darkened. "But make no mistake, Zero. I won't let you go back to them." 

It was agony, but Zero had already made up his mind. Licking his dry lips, Zero finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Kaname." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this isn't a 1-to-1 arknights AU; i've changed a few things around regarding both the backstories and current plot (esp since i also have no idea what's going on behind the scenes in lot of the arknights story). i might eventually expand on this story, including how zero's past with kaname and their conflict moving forward. xDD 
> 
> terms;  
> reunion - a violent faction consisting of those infected with oripathy; its goals are to end discrimination and oppression of the infected  
> chernobog - a city in the empire of ursus; was destroyed by reunion   
> lungmen - a city-state led by cross kaien  
> kazdel - a country that collapsed in the destructive wake of its civil war; it was formerly ruled by the royal kuran family  
> rhodes island - an organization designated officially as a pharmaceutical company researching oripathy and trying to develop a cure for it; has become something of a paramilitary force in its push back against reunion   
> oripathy - a disease resulting from direct/overexposure to originium; spread through physical contact with infected persons or contaminated items; symptoms include the crystallization of various organic tissues and organs; rhodes island has developed treatment but no cure for the disease  
> originium - a black, crystalline metal that generates large amounts of power; is used as an energy source and for those who practice the originium arts


	22. Outside the Window

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tsubasa reservoir chronicle / xxxholic / slice of life au --  
>   
> maria inherits a cottage in the woods and a mysterious housemate. on a rainy day, she finally finds out more about the man who lives with her.

"The waiting is the hardest part." 

Startled, Maria looked up at the ethereally beautiful figure who had just spoken. Silver-lilac eyes stared out the window, seemingly lost in the downpour of rain outside. Slowly drawing closer to the pale man, Maria hesitantly sat down beside him. 

On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, Maria had received notice of her inheritance -- a mysterious cozy little cottage, tucked away in the woods, and her new duty as caretaker of the cottage and the mysterious housemate that came with it. Despite her initial worries and suspicions, when the lawyer produced the very formal documents and her aunt's journal with its distinctly familiar handwriting, Maria had realized that it was not an elaborate scheme or prank. Shizuka had not left much in her journal, only mentioning briefly her new housemate's name and what her duties to him and the house entailed. 

She spent hours pouring over the journal, trying to reacquaint herself with the woman in the pages. It was hard to imagine her aunt -- strikingly beautiful and bold Shizuka -- living her idyllic life out in the woods. It also made Maria wonder more about the man who was to be her housemate, a certain Kiryuu Zero that supposedly was a distant relation of the family. 

When she opened the door to the cottage to see a young man gazing back at her, Maria had almost wondered if she had somehow stumbled upon the  _ wrong _ cottage in the woods. Going off of Shizuka's journal, Maria had expected someone more...elderly. But Zero had welcomed her in, his words short and clipped but not entirely unfriendly. 

"You're waiting for someone?" she prompted quietly after Zero fell silent again. 

Her reticent housemate rarely shared much about himself. There was always a certain intense wistfulness and sadness about him, a sad nostalgia for something -- or apparently, for  _ someone. _ In spite of his reserved tendencies, he was graciously kind to Maria, and the last thing she wanted to do was rudely intrude upon his melancholy. So Maria kept her questions and speculations to herself, and they continued to live their quiet lives together. 

"Do you believe in curses?" 

Maria blinked. 

Zero had turned to look at her, his piercing gaze deadly serious. The air was suddenly tense, and she felt as if the wrong answer would bring about some sort of irreparable ruin. 

"I," she began hesitantly, trying to pick her words carefully. Zero was not the type of person to bring up meaningless conversation, yet the topic was one so fantastical that Maria didn't know  _ how _ to respond properly. But if Zero trusted her enough to bring up something like this, then she would give her best and most appropriate response. "While I can't say I'm personally familiar with things of that nature, it isn't my place to deny its existence either." 

She felt her answer was inadequate, yet judging by the brief flicker of approval in Zero's eyes, perhaps it was just enough. 

"It wasn't my choice," he turned his head again, a pensive look on his face as he watched the raindrops on the window. "But he wanted so desperately to stay together that he lost all sensibility." Zero laughed bitterly, and Maria wanted to reach out to reassure him that it was alright. But it clearly wasn't. 

"And now, I'm cursed to stay in one place while he cannot stay in any one place long enough to call it home." 

There was a moment of silence. 

"But he will return to your side. That's why you're waiting for him, right?" 

If she was to be truthful, there were a great many things Maria still didn't quite understand. But now, she had a glimpse of the reason behind Zero's melancholy. It was quite clear to her that whoever Zero was waiting for was a person that her housemate treasured dearly. And Zero's feelings were more than reciprocated. 

At her comment, Zero's eyes glanced over to her in quiet surprise. For a moment, her impassive housemate's lips quirked up in a faint smile. "Yes," and now his voice was infused with fond warmth. "That's why I wait for him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wrote this at like 1am, so please excuse any mistakes @__@  
> a lot of things were purposefully vague. there will be an eventual continuation to this particular snippet, so i hope you look forward to it!  
> i wrote this while listening to chopin's nocturne op.9 no.2 on loop, if that gives you a hint of the mood / setting i was going for


	23. Missing You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tsubasa reservoir chronicle / xxxholic / slice of life au --  
>   
> continuation of "outside the window". a number of years have passed since the day she first received that letter. one day, a stranger shows up at the cottage.

She was watering the daffodils when the handsome stranger came up to the cottage. He was a sharply dressed young man with a polite smile and good manners, and if she had still been a fresh-faced youth she might've blushed like a schoolgirl and stuttered a greeting in return. But as it was, Maria simply eased her grip on the watering can, setting it down on the ground before turning back to the stranger.

"Good morning," and in spite of his charm, there was an undercurrent of impatience in his tone. "Are you the current caretaker of this cottage?" 

There was something intimately familiar about him, as if he was someone she had once been acquainted with.

And it was in that moment, with the sun shining down upon the stranger's unnaturally beautiful features, that Maria realized who she was talking to. Chuckling, she slowly bent down and picked up the watering can again. 

"You must be Zero-kun's Kaname-san. He's been waiting for you." 

Kaname was exactly like Zero had described him to be. He possessed an unearthly beauty, and there was a reserved politeness about him that made you feel just comfortable enough to share everything with him while being mindful of the distance he had put in between the two of you. 

"I'm sorry to have made him wait for so long." There was a tempered joy in Kaname's voice, as if the affirmation of his beloved's yearning meant the moon and stars to him. Some of the guarded false politeness had slipped at the mention of Zero, and Maria couldn't help but think how wonderful it was that these two eternally youthful people were still so in love after all this time. 

She began the slow walk back towards the cottage door, the polite young man keeping pace with her. 

"So how long have you been the current caretaker?" he inquired. 

The question brought a small smile to her lips. "A little over forty years now, but it's been a wonderful forty years. And how long has it been for you?" 

This time, there was a brief pause, and Maria wondered if the question had been a little too inappropriate. 

"Nearly seventy years," Kaname finally replied quietly. There was a muted pain in his admission. 

Humming, Maria steered the conversation in a different direction. "So you must've known my aunt Shizuka." 

That seemed to tease a small but surprised laugh from Kaname. 

"I did know her indeed. When I first saw you tending to the flowerbeds, I almost had thought you were her. But your eyes were different and -- pardon me for saying this -- Shizuka-san had a certain wildness to her, something that couldn't ever be tamed." 

"No offense taken. My family had always called her the flower that bloomed out of season. Beautiful and graceful, but contrary and willful to the very end." 

"That she was." 

Kaname seemed to have been lifted out of whatever melancholic mood he previously was in, and Maria smiled to herself. Opening the door, she set the watering can down by the entrance. 

"Zero-kun! There's someone here to see you!" 

But she needn't have called. The moment the door had creaked open, she could see the familiar figure of her housemate and dear friend coming out of the kitchen, a surprised but undeniably pleased look on his face. For a few seconds, the two young men simply stared at each other. But then in a flurry of motion, they were both moving forward towards each other. And when they met in the middle with a tight embrace, Maria couldn't help but beam brightly. 

"I've missed you, bastard. Don't make me wait so long next time." 

"I love you too, Zero." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an update already? indeed.


End file.
